Municipium
Description
Press Office
Press release no. 20 4
Statement by Mayor Peppe Cassì:
Regarding the closure of the Madison multiplex and the recent communications issued by the owners, I feel compelled to provide some clarity. I don't want to fuel a sterile and unproductive controversy, but rather contribute to reaching a solution. It's in everyone's interest, especially the municipal administration's, that the facility reopen as soon as possible. Naturally, this will be done in compliance with all rules and regulations.
Let's recap the facts.
On Saturday, April 18, I received a note from the Ragusa Fire Brigade which concluded: “In light of the identified deficiencies in fire safety requirements and the potential danger to public safety […] the owner has been warned not to continue film screenings […] consequently, the SCIA is to be considered suspended.”
On April 18, I also received a note from the Ragusa Police Headquarters (which carried out a joint inspection with the Fire Brigade): "In light of the above, this body (i.e., the Municipality of Ragusa) is asked […] to consider immediately issuing a formal warning to the managers of the business and blocking public access until they have rectified the reported situation."
That same day, I cannot refrain from issuing an order closing the multiplex, specifying that "the reopening of the venue is subject to verification that the critical issues identified have been resolved and the relevant certifications/authorizations have been obtained from the competent authorities."
In the following days, the owners announced that they had implemented the fire safety measures, ignoring the other administrative issues related to the permits. I therefore independently decided, despite their lack of explicit request, to convene the supervisory committee (composed of, among others, administrative and technical officials from the Municipality, the Health Authority, the Local Police, and the Fire Brigade), charged with verifying compliance with the legal requirements.
The commission met on April 30 and concluded: "With regard to fire prevention aspects, the SCIA remains suspended [...] as the one submitted on April 28, 2026 is not considered valid and does not produce the expected authorization effects [...] The Commission, in order to express its opinion, which is currently not possible due to the lack of documentation, invites the owner of the company Madison Cinemas Srl to activate the procedures aimed at obtaining the new license."
To reach a solution as quickly as possible, I decided to invite the heads of the Police Headquarters and the Fire Brigade to an informal meeting on May 5th to discuss the issues with municipal officials and managers. I was aware, and I am aware now, of the urgency of reopening the multiplex.
At the end of the meeting, it was decided to invite the owner of the facility to a subsequent informal meeting, to be held shortly thereafter, in order to provide him with any clarification on the procedure to follow.
I then personally contacted the owner of the Roman law firm representing the property, who ended the phone conversation by assuring me that he would speak to his client and let me know.
From that day on, there was absolute silence, until a message was posted on the cinema's website informing customers: "Due to the continuation of the closure order issued by the mayor of Ragusa and the lack of official confirmation despite the documentation submitted by the company, the procedure for the permanent cessation of activity has been initiated."
The desire to resolve the issue remains. If Ragusa were to lose its multiplex, it would be a devastating blow for everyone. However, we cannot refrain from demanding that procedures be respected.
For further clarity, I attach to this note a copy of the application to be submitted to the commission, which summarizes all the documentation required by law to grant the certificate of habitability.”
Let's recap the facts.
On Saturday, April 18, I received a note from the Ragusa Fire Brigade which concluded: “In light of the identified deficiencies in fire safety requirements and the potential danger to public safety […] the owner has been warned not to continue film screenings […] consequently, the SCIA is to be considered suspended.”
On April 18, I also received a note from the Ragusa Police Headquarters (which carried out a joint inspection with the Fire Brigade): "In light of the above, this body (i.e., the Municipality of Ragusa) is asked […] to consider immediately issuing a formal warning to the managers of the business and blocking public access until they have rectified the reported situation."
That same day, I cannot refrain from issuing an order closing the multiplex, specifying that "the reopening of the venue is subject to verification that the critical issues identified have been resolved and the relevant certifications/authorizations have been obtained from the competent authorities."
In the following days, the owners announced that they had implemented the fire safety measures, ignoring the other administrative issues related to the permits. I therefore independently decided, despite their lack of explicit request, to convene the supervisory committee (composed of, among others, administrative and technical officials from the Municipality, the Health Authority, the Local Police, and the Fire Brigade), charged with verifying compliance with the legal requirements.
The commission met on April 30 and concluded: "With regard to fire prevention aspects, the SCIA remains suspended [...] as the one submitted on April 28, 2026 is not considered valid and does not produce the expected authorization effects [...] The Commission, in order to express its opinion, which is currently not possible due to the lack of documentation, invites the owner of the company Madison Cinemas Srl to activate the procedures aimed at obtaining the new license."
To reach a solution as quickly as possible, I decided to invite the heads of the Police Headquarters and the Fire Brigade to an informal meeting on May 5th to discuss the issues with municipal officials and managers. I was aware, and I am aware now, of the urgency of reopening the multiplex.
At the end of the meeting, it was decided to invite the owner of the facility to a subsequent informal meeting, to be held shortly thereafter, in order to provide him with any clarification on the procedure to follow.
I then personally contacted the owner of the Roman law firm representing the property, who ended the phone conversation by assuring me that he would speak to his client and let me know.
From that day on, there was absolute silence, until a message was posted on the cinema's website informing customers: "Due to the continuation of the closure order issued by the mayor of Ragusa and the lack of official confirmation despite the documentation submitted by the company, the procedure for the permanent cessation of activity has been initiated."
The desire to resolve the issue remains. If Ragusa were to lose its multiplex, it would be a devastating blow for everyone. However, we cannot refrain from demanding that procedures be respected.
For further clarity, I attach to this note a copy of the application to be submitted to the commission, which summarizes all the documentation required by law to grant the certificate of habitability.”
Municipium
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Last update: 18 May 2026, 13:32